Beverage draft apparatus



, pril 18, 1944. R. A. RIESGO 2,347,123

BEVERAGE DRAUGHT APPARATUS Filed June 8, 1942 INVENTOR- fiAL PH A.R/ESGO BY .M W

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES LOFFIC E 7 2,347,123BEVERAGE paar'r APPARATUS Ralph Riesgo, New York, N. .Y. egalit ria Junes, 1942, Serial No. 44539.2

2 Claims. I (Cl. 2253) This invention relates to draft equipment of thetype used for dispensing beverages, and relates more particularly toimprovements in tap rods.

Many different types of beverage tap rods have been provided fordispensing beer and other beverages from kegs and the like, but each ofthese various types of rods has had certain disadvantages. For example,certain types of these tap rods are provided with opposedradially-extending inlet ports communicating with a central passagewayinto which the beer is drawn from the keg. The streams of beer flow intothe tap rod from opposite directions, impinge upon each other and causethe beer to foam undesirably. Moreover, the interiors of such tap rodshave corners, angles, or shoulders therein in which bacteria can lodge,with the result that fermentation may take place. Usually these rods andtheir tips are made of brass or copper, and as these tips sometimesbecome detached and fall into the keg, it has become the practice tosecure them tightly, as by soldering or Welding the end of the tube,with the result that they cannot be removed and can be cleaned properlyonly with considerable difficulty.

An object of the present invention is to provide beverage tap rods whichovercome the difficulties of the prior art tap rods pointed out above.

Another object of the invention is to provide inlet apertures for taprods which are so positioned and arranged as to preclude foaming of thebeverage as it is withdrawn from the keg and which are self-cleaning.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdescription of a typical form of tap rod employing the presentinvention.

Beverage tap rods embodying the present invention are characterized bythe presence of a plurality of inlet apertures which are mutuallyinclined. This mutual inclination of the inlet apertures causes asmooth, non-turbulent merging of the streams of the beverage enteringthe rod, thereby minimizing agitation and consequent foaming of thebeverage. This mutual inclination and arrangement of the inlet aperturesalso causes the beverage to flow through the apertures in such a way asto scour the apertures and adjacent portions of the tip and preventaccumulation of bacteria or fermentable solids or colloids therein.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical .form of tap rodembodying the present invention;

and

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1and partly'broken away.

The form of tap rod chosen for purposes of illustration of the presentinvention, may be made of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic,or the like.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tube i0 is of a substantially constantcross-sectional area and is provided with a central bore H through whichthe beverage is withdrawn. Adjacent to the lower end of the nozzle IDare a plurality of mutually inclined apertures l2 which extend throughthe wall of the tube and communicate with the central bore l I. Themutual inclination of the apertures l2 may be with respect to the axisof the tube as shown, or at an angle to the radius of the tube in ahorizontal plane, and this mutual inclination is of considerableimportance inasmuch as the streams of beverage entering the apertures l2do not impinge upon each other and hence preclude foaming of thebeverage. Therefore, where the apertures I2 are inclined inwardly andupwardly with respect to the axis of the nozzle In, the arrangementshould be at an acute angle. The same result obtains when the aperturesl2 may be alternatively inclined to a radius of the rod in thehorizontal plane, or inclined both to the axis and to the radius.

In the form shown the lower end of the rod Ill is provided with a plugl3 which may be formed separately and secured in or to the end of thetube, or formed as an integral portion thereof. This plug I3 ispartially traversed by the apertures [2 so as to form channels l4therein extending upwardly toward the axis of the nozzle IE]. Thesechannels 14 terminate at the top of the plug in slightly spaced apartrelationship leaving a small fiat portion IS in the center of the plug[3, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In operation, the inward flow of the liquid through the apertures l2results in the liquid scouring the interior of the apertures l2, thepassages l4, the upper portion of the plug l3 so that bacteria and othermaterial cannot accumulate in the tap rod tip. This self-cleaningfunction of the device is highly important inasmuch as it preventsfermentation taking place in the tap rod and off flavors cannot beimparted to the brew or the brew contaminated by the materials whichwould normally accumulate in the rod.

The number of apertures I2 can be varied as desired. Preferably fourapertures are provided in order to permit the liquid to be dispensed inadequate volume by using multiple apertures. The fiow through themutually inclined apertures is sufiicient under all operating conditionsto keep the rod clean and free from accumulated sediment, and the tip isnot unduly weakened by the presence of the apertures.

It will be understood that the size of the apertures may be varied asthe purpose demands and that the types of materials from which the rodis constructed may be varied widely. Therefore, the form of theinvention disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and notas limiting the scope of the following claims. 1

I claim:

1. A tap rod comprising a tubularvmember of annular cross-section havinga central bore substantially of uniform diameter throughout and a closedend, and means forming a plurality of angularly, related, upwardlyinclined and converging apertures extending inwardly through the sidesof said member and through the closed end to form open, inclined,converging channels in said closed end extending from the sides of saidmember substantially to the center of said closed end, said rod beingfree from internal shoulders and corners wherein solids and colloids canlodge and having all inner surfaces in the line of flow of the liquidthrough said apertures, channels and bore.

2. A tap rod comprising an elongated tubular non-metallic member ofsubstantially uniform annular cross-section throughout its entire lengthhaving a central bore and a closed end, means forming a plurality ofradially extending, upwardly inclined and converging apertures extendinginwardly through the sides of said member and through the closed end toform open, inclined, converging channels in said closed end extendingfrom the sides of said member substantially to the center of said closedend, said rod being free from shoulders and corners wherein solids andcolloids can lodge and having all inner surfaces in the line of flow ofliquid through said apertures, channels and bore.

RALPH A. RIESGO.

